[Kalium]

I understand why you feel this way. It seems impossible that so much talent and intelligence could fail to solve such obviously tractable problems, if but moved by basic empathy and kindness and decency to examine them seriously. Silicon Valley can do anything it sets its mind to. History makes that plain!

I don't think I agree. I think the kinds of problems Silicon Valley can effectively solve are limited in nature and scope. I think the problems surrounding homelessness in Silicon Valley and the larger Bay are fundamentally political, shaped by decades of an excess of empathy and kindness and decency and a dearth of pragmatism. I think that an understanding of this situation has driven away many with empathy for their own emotional self-preservation.

In short, I don't agree that the problem is that mostly decent human beings fail to see the tremendous amount of need around them. I think the problem is that mostly decent human beings see the need, and also that it exists within an intractable political framework. Thus, they retreat rather than break themselves on those rocks of kindness and decency gone horrifyingly wrong.

The problem is not a lack of empathy or lack of awareness. The problem is that we're in a scenario where you cannot question the cost-effectiveness of homelessness spending without someone retorting "Those people work really hard!", as if that is some kind of response to the point raised.

[monktastic1]

> It seems impossible that so much talent and intelligence could fail to solve such obviously tractable problems

It's not that I think that Silicon Valley can solve the problem. It's really only that I think it's disingenuous to claim one is trying to help people if one is really only trying to shovel them out of sight, and that this chasm will ultimately be reflected in the outcome of any plan that results.

That said, I hope I am wrong about the protagonists of the story.

[Kalium]

I agree. It's quite likely that competent people who set out with ill intent will manage to achieve some ill.

This should not be confused for a belief that setting out with good intentions will yield good results. It's far, far harder to improve things than it is to make things worse. Social policy does not function on the "Law of Attraction".

[monktastic1]

I agree. I don't think it even has to go as far as ill will. Even run-of-the-mill selfishness bleeds deeply into purported attempts to help others.

Thus an essential part of helping anyone is: be sure that you're really doing it to _help them_. It's not sufficient by a long shot (as you rightly point out), but it is more or less necessary.

Thanks for the frank discussion.